Apple opens Siri up to third-party apps

Apple has announced that the latest version of its mobile operating system will allow developers to access Siri. That means that third-party apps will be able to bake functionality into the voice-based assistant, such as WeChat and Uber. Rather than having to open any of these apps, you can simply talk to your phone and -- should Siri understand you -- everything will be taken care of. Should you want to hail a ride from Uber, Lyft or Didi, then you'll be able to do so simply by asking your smartphone to get you somewhere. You can even send payments to other people just with the power of your voice, although we can imagine the potential for muggers to demand voice payments at knifepoint.